Rescue & Reprieve
by Ana Hazel
Summary: <html><head></head>Jaina rescues Jag from Tenupe / This is a companion piece to A Long Night of Hard Truths / AU</html>


**Title**: Rescue & Reprieve

**Author**: Hazel Genre: drama

**Characters**: Jaina Solo, Jagged Fel

**Timeframe**: 36 ABY

**Summary**: Jaina rescues Jag from Tenupe

**Author's notes**: This is a companion piece to A Long Night of Hard Truths.

**Disclaimer**:The Star Wars Universe does not belong to me (unfortunately). I just like to play with it.

* * *

><p><strong>Rescue &amp; Reprieve<strong>

Jaina Solo was sitting at a table in the _Megador's_ mess hall, staring at a half-eaten nerf steak and tubers. The truth was, she had completely lost her appetite.

She was recalling her brother's words during that morning's comm call. His confessions had shocked the entire family but they weren't what was troubling Jaina. What was troubling her was what he had revealed about Jag.

Jagged Fel had crashed into the jungles of Tenupe a week earlier, shot down by Jaina's parents, during the final battle of a war that had been thrown into overdrive by Jaina's brother and in which Jaina herself had taken part and sided with the enemy. All in all, Jagged Fel had every reason in the galaxy to despise, even if not hate, the Solo family.

The problem was Jaina still loved him. Even though she had been the one to break up their relationship, she realized now that she still loved him. It broke her heart to think she had hurt him… and she had.

Because of her - well truth be told, because of the war, but Jaina was taking full responsibility - Jag and his family had lost almost everything they had accomplished in their years with the Chiss. Her brother had told the family that the rescue mission the Chiss were setting up would fail and Jag would be stranded on Tenupe for years.

That very notion tightened her heart and crushed her spirit. So, when her uncle had asked her parents to put together a rescue plan for Jag, she had immediately jumped onboard.

~o~

It still took a couple of days until Luke gave the rescue party the go-ahead. He first wanted to contact the Chiss rescue team and offer the Jedi assistance once more, because he couldn't afford to step on any more of their blue toes.

Fortunately, the lieutenant in charge of the Chiss rescue party was one of Jags men and wanted nothing more than to see his commanding officer be rescued, even at the expense of his own Chiss pride. So, it was arranged that there would be full cooperation between the two teams.

The plan was relatively simple: since there was a need to, in addition of rescuing Jag, also locate and apprehend Alema Rar, both teams would split in two and regroup as mixed teams, then one would go after Alema and the other would go get Jag. The problem was that there were actually very few Jedi available to be sent, since they were all either busy with spreading the nanotechology that would control the killik colony growth, or injured. In the end, it was down to just family, or rather family plus Zekk and Saba.

~o~

They all left that same afternoon. Luke, Zekk and Saba had taken half of the Chiss and their ship, and gone after Alema while Jaina, Han, Leia and the rest of the Chiss went to look for Jag on the _Falcon_.

It was already known that he had crashed in a deep rift valley with heavy foliage that made it impossible to use ship's sensors or even land in it. The idea was that Jaina would be able to locate Jag easily through the Force, narrowing down their search area significantly and then she and some of the Chiss would rope down to ground level and continue the search. Hopefully, Jaina's sense of Jag was strong enough to allow them to find him quickly after that.

As Han made the _Falcon_ hover over the rift valley, Jaina concentrated hard, thinking of Jag and searching for him in the Force.

"Alright, Jaina. Tell me where to go." Han told his daughter.

"Forward, Dad," she said and after a few minutes directed him to the left, then to the right.

After a few hours of this, Jaina suddenly shouted "STOP" and Han lowered the _Falcon_ as much as he could without losing control due to the whirling winds that were blowing in the canyon. Then, he opened the ship's hatch and Leia helped Jaina and the two Chiss to rope down to the treetops. From there, they were able to climb down to the ground.

Jaina was climbing down a huge tree when her danger sense flared just a moment before the branch she was holding on to snapped and she found herself falling, her descent only slowed by other branches and by the Force.

She crashed square in the middle of a makeshift camp.

"I've seen a lot of things fall from these trees, but it's the first time I've seen a Jedi." Jaina heard a male voice saying. A very _familiar_ male voice.

"Hello Jag!" She replied with whatever air was left in her lungs that hadn't been knocked out by the fall.

"Are you hurt?" He asked and his voice turned cold, showing he had recovered from the surprise.

Jaina checked herself through the Force before trying to actually move. There were some aches but nothing bad.

"Just my pride." She answered, getting up.

"It's serious then." He said and the bite showed in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"We came for you."

"_We_? You and who else?" He inquired, looking around and up to the trees.

"Two of your men came with me," she pointed up, "but they took the slow way down."

"That was smart of them."

Yes, the bite was definitely there, but Jaina couldn't really fault him, so she decided to just ignore it and instead shouted up to her partners.

"FOUND HIM."

Sounds were heard from up above, as the two Chiss officers acknowledged Jaina's call.

"Well, Flyboy, start packin'." She told Jag and started gathering some of the things that were spread around. "Be sure to pack lightly, 'cause the way out is _up_."

"Up? Are you crazy, Jaina?"

"Yeah! It's the fastest way. Otherwise we'll have to walk for almost a month before we reach a place where a ship can land." Watching his astonished face staring at her, she decided he was asking for a tease. "Unless, of course, you're afraid of heights."

"Ha-ha! Very funny, Jaina." He retorted nervously.

"You are! You are afraid of heights."

"I'm a pilot, Jaina. How could I be afraid of heights."

"It's not the same thing. Have you ever climbed a tree?"

"Yes, of cour-"

Just when the discussion was about to escalate, the two Chiss officers jumped out of a nearby tree and hurried to properly greet their stranded commander.

"At ease, men." He dismissed their salutes and greeted them in a more informal fashion.

"Sir, we should get going while there's still light." Officer Nurruo said in his competent chiss baritone voice.

Jaina watched as Jag put together his backpack, noticing how he chose the items to take thoughtfully and anticipating his and the groups needs. She saw him collecting what was left of his ration bars and a med kit, as well as a small laserlighter and pocket vibroblade that she recognized as the one she had given to him years before.

Within a few minutes, they were ready to go.

The climb up took about an hour longer than the climb down, but never the less, when they reached the treetops, there were the ropes and the _Falcon_ waiting for them.

When they finally climbed onboard, Jaina noticed that Jag was not the least bit fazed by being in the ship that had shot him down; she thought that he had probably been expecting it.

Never the less, there was still a high level of awkwardness in the air and the trip back to the _Megador_ was made in silence.

~o~

Once aboard the Super-class Star Destroyer, and after having freshened up and had a good-sized meal, Jag contacted his father on Csilla. The comm call did nothing to raise Jag's spirits.

"Things are hard for us Fels here, Jag. You can come back, but I think it better if you find a home for yourself there. I would rather see you return in a few years as a victor than now as a defeated and demoted officer."

"But Father, I want to help the family recover." Jag stated eagerly.

"I know, Son. But I believe you can do more for us there than here with the Chiss. Your uncle Wedge will be glad to help you and can lead you in the right direction."

"What about you and Mom and Wyn?"

"We'll be fine. If things get to difficult, though, I'll send your mother and sister to you."

"Alright, Dad." Jag relented, feeling dismayed.

"Jag - heads up, Son. I have faith in you. I know you'll make me proud, you already do."

With that, both male Fels bid their goodbyes, hoping they wouldn't have to be parted for very long.

~o~

Later that day, Jaina found Jag in a secluded corner of the mess hall. She approached him timidly, hoping he wouldn't send her back the way she came from right away. She so desperately wanted to talk to him.

She noticed immediately that his eyes on her were not as cold as they were before. They were not warm either, they were just sad and that broke her heart. She didn't like to see Jag sad.

"Hey!" She greeted him casually.

"What do you want, Jaina?" He asked without snark. He just sounded tired and Jaina thought that the best way to go about it was to just be blunt.

It had occurred to Jaina, while they were climbing up that Jacen wasn't the only one that had to make amends. She, too, had a lot to make up for and she would start with Jag.

"I wanna say I'm sorry."

He looked up at her, studying her with the sharpness of his green eyes.

"What about?"

"For it all. For disappointing you, for dragging you and your family into this war, for hurting you… for breaking up with you to begin with."

This was hard for her, Jag knew. That remark he had made earlier about her pride had not been just a retort. Jaina had a considerable amount of pride and the very fact that she was there, holding it back to apologize to him without trying to make excuses for herself told him just how much she truly wanted and valued his forgiveness.

"Okay, Jaina. I forgive you." His tone was level and less guarded. Jaina had a feeling that at least he was leaving the way open for them to start over, for now, as friends. She was thankful they weren't going to stay aloof strangers.

When she was turning to leave, he called her back to ask for news on the other team and if they had found Alema. She answered that the Dark Jedi had been too injured to put up a fight and they were on their way back now.

"Good." He replied and she could swear his mood sounded a little lighter.

When the _Megador_ left for Bastion, Jagged Fel went too. He had been invited by Admiral Pellaeon to join his security personnel and had promptly accepted the appointment, as he was sure he would not find a better one anywhere.

~o~

It was over a year later before Jag and Jaina met again.

Jaina was on a mission to Corellia, to investigate a series of events that could be related to Sith activity. It was possible that Lumiya was acting in the background and prompting Jaina's father's cousin, Thrackan Sal-Solo to stir up trouble in the system.

The Jedi were keeping a close watch on it and, apparently, so was Bastion.

After working together and finding unquestionable evidences that supported their theory, Jag and Jaina prepared to apprehend the two accomplices, Jaina taking out the Sith lady with the help of her twin and Jag arresting Sal-Solo. Both of them were surprised at well they worked together, and how right it felt.

At the end of the day, they both felt they deserved a complementary night off.

It was the beginning, or rekindling, of a beautiful relationship.

- THE END


End file.
